Hosted my first Thanksgiving at my mom’s new coastside clubhouse. Two turkeys came out perfect!

Ben’s birthday ride at Wilder to find “thousands of birds”. We did, and a fern grotto cave too.

Caught the last day of a historic whale watching season for our Monterey Bay. Felt their breath!

Flashmob meditation before Thay’s talk in Oakland.

\Lise’s new Ice Bat mobile took us for a ride.

Heather and I caught the Stockings Cabaret, my third year running.

Visited the blondies at their new old doublewide in Old San Benito (Paicines). Played on swings, monkeybars and ice.

Felt like a who’s-who getting invited to the Farmer’s Market end of year celebration with food by the Truck Stop, a bluegrass band, an altar room at the front of the Portuguese Hall and a full bar in back.? Good friends all around.

Epic California Honeydrops house concert at the Big Basin Vineyard estate on the eve of the eve

Last day of the year sunset from Crow’s Nest patio, New Year’s Eve

No pics from a sweet Christmas Eve at Don and Cindy’s and an equally sweet Christmas Day here with dad, Kath and the Blondies.? No pics showing that Natascha is moving out and I may be moving on from my condo.? More on that to come in 2014 I suppose. Until then, stay tuned.

Its all his fault. My work in October was exciting but intense.? Long hours researching the beginnings of Ecology Action’s philanthropy initiative and train rides to Sacramento to pitch the Green Business Program.? I landed at this retreat with Tias and dropped into rest and quiet and reflection and a deep internal release of tension I had not known I carried. Tears in meditation, and peace.? I came home and stopped training for my half marathon and started meditating every morning for a half hour.? I? stopped scheduling myself so much and started looking for a sangha to sit with. I stopped thinking so much and started feeling more. I stopped posting to my blog and got off Facebook and started paying more attention to my real daily life. Its been a profound change in the full sense of the word, as in a big change but the quiet deep waters kind Juan Ramon Jimenez talks about.*

Thank goodness.

For that and the deepened friendship with Talya and newfound dharma friends in Dawn, Erin, and Lorien I am ever so grateful.

* “I have a feeling that my boat has struck, down there in the depths, against a great thing. And nothing happens! .silence….waves….Nothing happens? Or has everything happened, and we are standing now, quietly, in the new life?” ~ Juan Ramon Jimenez